Nurse Practitioners Good For Health Reform - Australian Nursing Federation

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 04 Feb 2008 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

One of the first steps the Federal Government can take in improving community access to quality health care is to introduce prescribing and referral rights for nurse practitioners, the ANF said.

Ged Kearney, acting ANF federal secretary, welcomed the focus on an integrated approach to health care incorporating primary care and aged care into the Australian Health Care Agreements as outlined in the Australian Health Ministers' Joint Communiqué.

While existing state and territory laws allow nurse practitioners to prescribe some medications and refer patients to other allied health professionals, they are hamstrung by federal barriers, Ms Kearney said.

"We have a very strange situation where state legislators recognise the expertise and competence of nurse practitioners but the previous national government refused to allow their patients access to rebates through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Medicare.

"By providing nurse practitioners access to the PBS schedule, the Federal Government would remove the existing barriers that prevent those most in need from accessing the full potential of these expert clinicians."

Ms Kearney said nurses are hopeful the new government will recognise the great benefits nurse practitioners bring to the community and act quickly to provide prescribing and referral rights.

- At September 2007 there were 238 nurse practitioners authorised in Australia.
- Nurse practitioners can prescribe fully in state and territory (except the NT) public hospitals - as determined by hospital protocol, guidelines and formulary which are different in each state.
- However in the community and aged care facilities they have to issue private scripts as they have no access to the PBS schedule.

The ANF, representing 150,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia

Australian Nursing Federation

• Additional
• References
• Citations